Antenna arrangement on a vehicle

Abstract

 The invention concerns an antenna arrangement comprising an antenna unit consisting of one or more elements, the suspension and operating equipment to which the antenna unit is connected, and an instrument space accommodating the antenna unit. According to the invention, the suspension and operating equipment con­sists of a lever element (4) and a supporting element (5), the former being rotatably mounted on the latter. The instrument space (3) is provided with an opening (6) for the antenna unit (1), the supporting element (5) being placed inside said space near said opening in such a way that the antenna unit (1) can be turned from its storage or transport position (C) in the instrument space (3) to the working position (A, B) and vice versa by turning the lever element (4) about its swivelling axis (D-D).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an antenna ar­rangement as defined in the introductory part of claim 1.

[0002] In previously known antenna arrangements, the antenna unit is installed, using suitable suspension and operating equipment, either outdoors or in an in­strument room specially designed to protect the antenna.

[0003] A drawback with currently used antenna arrange­ments is that the instrument rooms must be specially de­signed and have to meet strict requirements. Either they must have a good transmittance for the carrier frequencies used, or else they must permit the antenna to be moved out or the room itself to be at least parti­ally split or opened for the antenna to be brought from its storage position to the working position. These problems are especially difficult in the case of mobile antennas.

[0004] One of the objects of the invention is to eliminate the drawbacks referred to. As to the features characteristic of the invention, reference is made to claim 1.

[0005] The antenna arrangement of the invention com­prises an antenna unit proper, consisting of one or more elements, suspension and operating equipment to which the antenna unit is connected, and an instrument space accommodating the antenna unit. The invention is characterized in that the suspension and operating equipment consists of a lever element and a supporting element, the former being rotatably mounted on the latter, and that the instrument space is provided with an opening for the antenna unit, the supporting element being placed inside said space near said opening in such a way that the antenna unit can be turned from its storage or transport position to the working position and vice versa by turning the lever element about its swivelling axis.

[0006] In an embodiment of the invention, the swivel­ing axis of the lever element runs parallel to the edge of the opening.

[0007] In an embodiment of the invention, the lever element is at least partially curved in the plane per­pendicular to the swivelling axis. In an alternative embodiment, the lever element is of an angular construc­tion in the plane perpendicular to the swivelling axis.

[0008] As the lever element is of a curved or angular design, the edge of the instrument space opening can be left straight and whole and no separate opening or cut-out for the lever element needs to be provided in it.

[0009] In an embodiment of the invention, a power means, e.g. an electric motor, is connected to the shaft of the lever element. The power means is preferably a motor belonging to the antenna operating equipment, used for adjusting the antenna position.

[0010] In an embodiment of the invention, the lever element is attached via the supporting element to the ceiling of the instrument space. This is a preferable solution in cases where an antenna is to be mounted on a movable bed on a vehicle.

[0011] The antenna arrangement of the invention has the advantage that is is especially suited for use in the case of mobile transmission and reception equipment, e.g. remote control and measurement (radar) stations, measurement stations for satellite traffic, earth sta­tions for satellite communications, telecommunication link stations.

[0012] A further advantage of the invention is that the antenna can be held in an indoor space, i.e. instru­ment space, during transportation, thus obviating the need for protection against weather.

[0013] Furthermore, the invention makes it possible to have all the associated reception, transmission and control equipment mounted in the same space, so that no installation or cabling is needed in order to put the antenna into operation.

[0014] A further advantage of the invention is that the antenna is provided with its own power means for turning the antenna from its storage/transportation position to the operating position and vice versa, thus obviating the need for separate equipment for moving the antenna out of the storage space and guiding it into the operating position.

[0015] Another advantage provided by the invention is that it allows e.g. a mobile satellite-communications earth station to be mounted in a vehicle of standard construction, e.g. a container, trailer or the like.

[0016] The invention also provides the advantage that an ordinary vehicle can be used for the transportation of a mobile antenna, thus eliminating the need for special transport.

[0017] A further advantage of the invention is that the rigid or specially stiffened frame of the instrument space, e.g. a transport vehicle, acts as the base of the antenna. No additional structures are needed.

[0018] In the following, the invention is described by referring to the appended drawings, in which

Fig. 1 illustrates the antenna arrangement of the invention, fitted in a transport vehicle, in lateral view and partly sectioned, and

Fig. 2 shows the antenna arrangement of fig. 1 as seen from direction E-E.

[0019] The antenna arrangement comprises an antenna unit 1, which in this case consists of a paraboloidal mirror, suspension and operating equipment 2 supporting the antenna unit 1, and an instrument space 3 accommo­dating the antenna unit 1.

[0020] The suspension and operating equipment 2 com­prises rotating and turning means, consisting of two power means such as electric motors 7, 8, an antenna support 9, a transmitter/receiver support 10 for holding the transmitter/receiver 11, a lever element 4 and a supporting element 5.

[0021] The instrument space 3 consists of a mobile space, in this case the freight space of a truck or trailer truck or a transportable container. The space 3 is provided with an opening 6 for the antenna unit 1. This opening may naturally consist of the normal loading opening provided in the rear wall of the carrier vehi­cle, which can be closed with the doors belonging to it.

[0022] The antenna unit 1, together with the antenna support 9 and electric motor 8, is mounted on the sup­porting element 5, which is attached to the ceiling of the instrument space 3 near the opening 6. The lever element 4 is turnably mounted on the supporting element 5. The swivelling axis D-D of the lever element is parallel to the edge 6a of the opening 6.

[0023] The level element has an angular form, i.e. it consists of at least two parts with an angle between them as seen in the plane perpendicular to the swivel­ing axis D-D (fig. 1). The lever element is thus pro­vided with a cut-out for the edge of the ceiling 3a of the instrument space 3. Alternatively, the lever element be at least partially curved in the plane perpendicular to the swivelling axis D-D.

[0024] The antenna arrangement of the invention works as follows. In fig. 1, the antenna unit 1 is in its storage/transport position C within the instrument space 3. By turning the lever element 4 about its swivelling axis D-D, the antenna unit 1 is turned from its storage/transport position to the working position within the working range between positions A and B, indicated by broken lines in fig. 1. Similarly, the antenna unit 1 can be turned back from the working position A,B to the transport position C when the unit is not being used or when it is to be prepared for transportation.

[0025] The lever element 4 can be turned using a power means 7 connected to its shaft D-D. In a preferable arrangement, this power means is the same as that used for adjusting the antenna unit's position in the vertical plane. In this case, no separate power means for turning the antenna unit from its storage/transport position C to the working position and vice versa is needed. Within the working range, the angle of rotation, i.e. the azimuth angle of the antenna can be freely adjusted in the range 0 - 360° by means of the other electric motor 8.

[0026] In the above, the invention has been described by referring to one of its preferred embodiments, but it is obvious that several variations are possible within the scope of the idea of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. Antenna arrangement comprising an antenna unit proper, consisting of one or more elements, the suspension and operating equipment to which the antenna unit is connected, and an instrument space accommodating the antenna unit, characterized in that the suspension and operating equipment consists of a lever element (4) and a supporting element (5), the for­mer being rotatably mounted on the latter, and that the instrument space (3) is provided with an opening (6) for the antenna unit (1), the supporting element (5) being placed inside said space near said opening in such a way that the antenna unit (1) can be turned from its storage or transport position (C) in the instrument space (3) to the working position (A, B) and vice versa by turning the lever element (4) about its swivelling axis (D-D).

2. Antenna arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the swivelling axis (D-D) of the lever element (4) runs parallel to the edge (6a) of the opening (6).

3. Antenna arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lever element (4) is at least partially curved in the plane perpen­dicular to the swivelling axis (D-D).

4. Antenna arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lever element (4) has an angular shape in the plane perpendicular to the swivelling axis.

5. Antenna arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that a power means (7), e.g. an electric motor, is connected to the shaft (D-D) of the lever element.

6. Antenna arrangement according to any one of the precedng claims, characterized in that the lever element (4) is attached via the support­ ing element (5) to the ceiling (3a) of the instrument space (3).

Drawing